Reducing cholesterol naturally

Cholesterol-Lowering Garlic Cod with Lemony Kale & Cannellini Beans

This simple and nutritious one-pot cholesterol-friendly recipe is perfect for weekday dinners, as it requires very little preparation, and takes less than 20 minutes to make.

Cod is a great cholesterol-friendly dinner option, as it’s rich in protein and very low in saturated fat. It also cooks very quickly, so is brilliant for speedy dinners. Cannellini beans are the perfect accompaniment too as they actively lower cholesterol, and they’re also very filling and rich in nutrients.

Information

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 12 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 boneless cod fillets, with skin on

1 tbsp olive oil (or garlic-infused olive oil)

400g tin of Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 handfuls of kale, torn into small pieces (see notes)

2 tbsp mixed seeds

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Extra oil for drizzling

Method

Season the cod fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.

Place the cod fillets, skin-side down, in the pan.

Press down on each fillet for a few seconds with a fish slice, then cook for 3 minutes until the skin on the underside is nice and crispy.

Carefully turn the cod fillets over with a fish slice, then add the beans, kale, seeds and minced garlic to the pan around the edges, gently mixing them together (taking care not to disturb and break the fish).

Cook for a further 2 minutes, then squeeze the lemon over everything in the pan.

Cook for 1 more minute, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the cod is opaque and starts to flake, transfer each fillet onto a plate, skin-side down, then add the rest of the ingredients and drizzle with oil.

Notes

You may want to remove any big stalks from the kale, as they can be a bit tough and chewy when cooked for only a short amount of time.

You can add the minced garlic to the oil at the start of the cooking instead of the middle if you prefer, but I find it sometimes burns, adding a nasty taste to the fish.

This recipe works just as well with butter beans, chickpeas or cooked lentils, and you can serve it with crusty bread if you want a more substantial meal.

For more cholesterol-friendly recipes and tips on how to reduce cholesterol naturally, click here.

About me

I'm Alice, a 34 year old from the UK. I love food and cooking, and have always been interested in nutrition. So when I found out I had high cholesterol in February 2016, I decided to figure out what changes I could make to my diet that would help to reduce it naturally, without medication. I started this blog so that I could share my experiences and tips, whilst keeping myself on track during the process.

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